Dear Doctor,
Happy festive holidays to you!
People with Hepatitis C are advised to avoid alcohol or at the very least to consume alcohol in moderation. Could I ask what your take is on food that has been cooked with alcohol added - red wine in beef casserole or brandy in brandy cream for example? Is it best to avoid these foods? And what about vinegar? I understand that alcohol is used in the manufacturing of vinegar. Is vinegar best avoided?
Thank you for your advice.
John

Response from Dr. Taylor

Dear John,
Yes you are correct, avoiding drinking alcohol when we have hepatitis C is very important. The combination of hep C and alcohol may increase our chances of developing cirrhosis (scarring of the liver) and liver cancer. For those who cannot yet stop consuming alcohol, less is best. HOWEVER, vinegar is fine, so enjoy vinegar!! As much as you'd like, no harm to the liver.

As for eating foods cooked with alcohol on occasion, this is okay to do. The amount of alcohol in a single portion would be very small. As long as this is a once in a while thing, I would not be concerned about it. All best to you.

This forum is designed for educational purposes only, and experts are not rendering medical, mental health, legal or other professional advice or services. If you have or suspect you may have a medical, mental health, legal or other problem that requires advice, consult your own caregiver, attorney or other qualified professional.

Experts appearing on this page are independent and are solely responsible for editing and fact-checking their material. Neither TheBody.com nor any advertiser is the publisher or speaker of posted visitors' questions or the experts' material.

The Body is a service of Remedy Health Media, LLC, 750 3rd Avenue, 6th Floor, New York, NY 10017. The Body and its logos are trademarks of Remedy Health Media, LLC, and its subsidiaries, which owns the copyright of The Body's homepage, topic pages, page designs and HTML code. General Disclaimer: The Body is designed for educational purposes only and is not engaged in rendering medical advice or professional services. The information provided through The Body should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or a disease. It is not a substitute for professional care. If you have or suspect you may have a health problem, consult your health care provider.